Saint Mary’s vs Gonzaga: 2022-23 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
The WCC’s premier showdown sees a rematch between Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga; can the Bulldogs get revenge at home or can the Gaels claim the conference title?
TV schedule: Saturday, February 25, 10:00 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington
Saint Mary’s (25-5) sits atop the WCC standings and looks pretty great in many of the metrics and other analytics, which is a testament to the job Randy Bennett has done this season as head coach. The Gaels had some tough performances back in nonconference play, but have only been felled by Loyola Marymount in the last two months, with an overtime win against Gonzaga included in that stretch.
The big story for the Gaels has been the emergence of freshman guard Aidan Mahaney (15.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg), who had 18 points in that win over the Bulldogs and has been one of the best young players in the nation. He’s far from the other important piece at Saint Mary’s, with senior guard Logan Johnson (13.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg) scoring at least 27 points in four of their last five games. Junior center Mitchell Saxen (12.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg) has done great work in the post while senior guard Alex Ducas (12.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg) has made 41% of his 3-pointers this season.
Currently 15th in the AP Top 25, the metrics love this Saint Mary’s squad, who sit 8th in both KenPom and the NET rankings, even with just two Quad 1 victories. They have a Top 10 defense, having allowed fewer than 70 points in nearly all of their wins this season. The Gaels are quietly an elite-level rebounding squad that can make shots when they need and are thriving as the calendar nears March.
Across the court, Gonzaga (24-5) will look to not only defend their home court but avenge that loss at Saint Mary’s back just three weeks ago. The Bulldogs have not lost a game since then, looking solid in their last five ballgames, including a revenge blowout against Loyola Marymount last week. Do they get the same type of revenge against the Gaels?
It’s been another great effort from senior forward Drew Timme (21.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg), a potential All-American who just had 34 points in a win at Pepperdine last weekend. The dynamic scoring ability of junior guard Julian Strawther (15.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg) has helped key their recent success, scoring 40 points in a win at Portland and piling on the points in recent weeks. Both senior guard Rasir Bolton and senior forward Anton Watson are averaging 11.1 points per game and provide additional offense for a rotation stacked with scoring threats.
The Bulldogs are at #12 in the AP Top 25, 13th in the KenPom and 10th in the NET rankings. They boast the top-rated offense in the efficiency rankings and have played significantly better basketball since that loss to the Gaels. Even though they’ve already lost a pair of conference games, the Bulldogs can still win the WCC regular season crown with a win in this game and will be a tough out in March regardless.
Forty minutes was not enough the first time these two teams played, with the Gaels winning a fantastic overtime battle. Saint Mary’s actually outrebounded the Bulldogs despite Gonzaga’s better shooting numbers. Timme had a fine performance, but the Bulldogs needed someone else to step up on the road. This time, things are a bit different at home with revenge on the mind.
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This might be one of the most highly-anticipated regular season showdowns between these two teams in years. Mahahey is a freshman who’s played like an upperclassman, but he, Johnson, and the rest of his lineup will have their hands full on the road. Loyola Marymount (who have beaten both of these teams) has shown that Gonzaga can be toppled on the road, but it might take another poor shooting effort from the Bulldogs. Don’t expect that to happen with the WCC title on the line.